Over the past decade, an increase in the robbery of scrap-metal has gone up greatly. It was during the depression when the real robberies began, but desperation has turned to greed and the robbers have returned. From the tools they use, to how much they’re stealing, and even to how they do it. Police are trying to stop leaves from stealing up to $60,000 dollars in contracting materials. A recent robbery demonstrates how bold they’ve become.
The actual incident, taking place on June 9th, is actually one of three recent events in Orlando. Crimes similar to this have started to become very common and are putting contractors on the alert. Police believe thieves look for potential gigs during the day through simple observing, then based on easiest target make there move. The theft revolves mostly around copper wiring increasing in price. Now being bought for $2.50 a pound, thieves are on a rampage to get their hands on it.
The problem at hand was a lot less of a problem around ten years ago, this was due to the fact that copper was only worth around $0.70 a pound. Thieves wouldn’t waste their time and now the craze is back. The robberies are predicted to turn into an epidemic if the police can’t figure out a solution soon.